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I heard on the radio this morning that an Institute of Advanced Motorists survey found that tailgating and the use of mobile phones were considered by most respondents to be the most dangerous bad habits of drivers. That's consistent with the poll on this Forum, I think. Isn't it about time that the authorities started determined pursuit of the offenders? I know, I know -- fat chance.
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The law banning the use of handheld phones might just as well not exist from my experience. Quite apart from the fact that it wasn't required as the police could already charge motorists with driving without due care, the sheer lack of resources to inforce it makes it an ass. Gatso money boxes can't actually pick this offence up!
--
\"Nothing less than 8 cylinders will do\"
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There must be some offence that the police can get tailgaters for. As expert drivers themselves (well, most of them) they must know as well as we do that driving too close is far more dangerous than speeding on its own. One would think that speed cameras could be adapted to detect it without too much trouble.
Is there a serving or former police office on the forum who might enlighten us? It would be great if someone could tell us, believably, that the lack of action where it's needed isn't due to a quota system based on number of scalps - thus the easier the target the better.
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ISTR seeing on the box some years ago that the Germans had tailgating detecting cameras mounted on some autobahn bridges.
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ISTR seeing on the box some years ago that the Germans had tailgating detecting cameras mounted on some autobahn bridges.
and ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) is currently investigating using them here.
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Roger,
the report I heard said that in third place was "overtaking on single carriageway roads" !!!
Now I know why there's a queue of slow cars behind a lorry / tractor / caravan all refusing to overtake. All of the cars at the front think that overtaking on a single cariageway is "wrong". Those who disagree hasve gone by and slowly you're left with the non overtakers plodding along. By now there's so many of them that no one can get by and you jave a half mile queue. I'm amazed.
John
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I saw the report on Kirsty Young this evening. In the list of actions perceived as most likely to cause an accident were tailgating, using a mobile, aggressive overtaking and something else that I forget. The report was ten minutes long. Speeding wasn?t mentioned once.
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Ah - aggressive overtaking. I'll agree with that. That you shouldn't do it that is. The report I read just said "overtaking on a single carriageway", which is bonkers.
John
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Yes its amazing how many people can't or won't overtake on single carriage ways. Drove from Norfolk down to Bury St Edmunds on Sunday and loads of people dawdling along OK no problem, but do they get excited when you overtake them. Perfectly safely & well within the speed limit! A134 is a great road for a blast along by the way, although the lunatic bikers were a real pain at times.
I see lots of dawdlers with IAM stickers on their cars so take pretty much anything they say with a largish pinch of salt.
Jim
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The "rule" I apply is that if I do not intend to overtake I sit well back from the vehicle in front to allow others to do so - I wish more drivers use it.
BTW my father is an IAM member and will not display the badge because he must then be seen to obey all the rules.
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I don't display an IAM member badge. I wouldn't want to bring the organisation in to disrepute if I made a driving error, and I don't like to draw attention to myself, particularly if I were to exceed the speed limit.
I was instructed that an IAM driver should always make progress, and drive as fast as is safe and legal.
I wish the police would do more about tailgaters. I haved several incidents of people driving in to the back of my car. I am now quite paranoid about it!
WipeOut
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That's odd, as since joining IAM and becoming "badge aware" the only cars I see with stickers/badges are when I go to an IAM meeting. I'd almast wondered if people didn't "advertise" their membership!!
Still, be grateful that there are so many round your way tr7v8 :-)
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